Free Hand - a 1* album

@iluvmarillion I've listened to Free Hand in full over two dozen times, and several tracks about four dozen times. At one point I enjoyed some moments, but as I listened again my fondness waned because... this album has no replay value. Free Hand is replete with music that lacks that standard in prog, and all real music, of enduring quality. Whereas I've listened to classic Yes songs like Heart of the Sunrise, Long Distance Runaround, and Yours is No Disgrace thousands of times, with just a handful of periods of having heard them enough for the time being. 

@lucas It was no trouble to write. I'm glad you appreciate my 'audacity'. I should also like to encourage you to give, to paraphrase the old expression, a 'discouraging word' or at least a hundred about some GG albums. I understand why some folks who don't find the band particularly listenable avoid reviewing their releases, ie. they try to be positive people, and avert themselves from spreading negativity. But these guys need to receive a more diverse spectrum of commentary than they do. 

iluvmarillion wrote: Tubes wrote: @Dayvenkirq I'm supporting your proposition that, "having two-three decent moments on an album.." is not exactly redemption for it's numerous faults. I provided an example in the form of a hypothetical question.  Being able to write well and articulate an opinion is totally different in my opinion to understanding a complex piece of work like Free Hand, so I suggest you re-listen to the album and rewrite your review. You remind me of certain professional film critics who come from a journalistic background and write film reviews without the slightest understanding of movie making apart from digesting a couple of text books on films.

Tubes wrote: @Dayvenkirq I'm supporting your proposition that, "having two-three decent moments on an album.." is not exactly redemption for it's numerous faults. I provided an example in the form of a hypothetical question.

@Dayvenkirq I'm supporting your proposition that, "having two-three decent moments on an album.." is not exactly redemption for it's numerous faults. I provided an example in the form of a hypothetical question. 

While I feel that my review of Free Hand should stand on its own merits, I also feel compelled at the moment to defend its stance. @twosteves and @HolyMoly, my entry was not an April Fool's joke. Actually, I tried to be as serious and objective as my highly opinionated nature would permit, simultaneously expressing my honest views. @Hercules, I do not quite understand the reasons for your offense at the critique in question; I can't say of a certainty, but I have a hunch that neither you nor a member of your household wrote or even played on Free Hand, therefore it is not your 'accomplishment' (if it can be so called) of which to be proud. Remember: a lot of folks don't realize that an offense (real or imagined) 'committed' against their sensibilities is THEIR problem. @Neu!mann The keyboards on the record are indeed dated-sounding, regardless of the time at which it was recorded. Let's take Tony Bank's palette on The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway; they're infinitely more advanced and expressive than anything I hear on modern mainstream radio. Or listen to the keyboard introduction to Yes' Face to Face from the Ladder. It has a very similar tone to the riff of LMFAO's Sexy and I Know It, yet preceded that abomination by 12 years and, honestly, is far more virtuoso and engaging. Furthermore, are you implying that sharing my views in such manner as I did present them is tantamount to publicly soiling myself? I think your manners are questionable. @Triceratopsoil and @Dayvenkirq, let me pose a question for you: Is listening to 35 minutes of rap really worth hearing 30 seconds of a sampled edit of 21st Century Schizoid Man? I don't believe so. @Snow Dog, that's fine, but you'll not receive my respect in return for the 'favor'. By the way, you might feel more inclined to restrain your enthusiasm for certain albums, if you would take care of what I'll guess is an unfortunate cocaine problem, SNOW Dog. I can be funny when I want. @The Mystical and many others: I'll conclude with thanks for all your support. Reviewers shouldn't be discouraged from writing genuine and (hopefully) helpful entries on this website, or anywhere else for that matter. This should be every critic's intention, and provide the measure of his success. Take some advice from another poor prog-related song: "Be yourself, give your free will a chance - you've got to want to succeed." 

HolyMoly wrote: I think it's a great review, and I disagree with everything in the review.  The two are different things. No vote.

His review reads like about a 2.5* to me though

1* means it has no redeeming features

Found the freaking review (it's the latest as of the time of this writing, hehe): http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=937841

Edited by Dayvenkirq - April 01 2013 at 15:34

Hercules wrote: The Mystical wrote: If this review gets taken down, I am leaving ProgArchives.   I completely agree with you. He has a perfect right to express his views and I have a perfect right to (vehemently)disagree with him.   Two years ago, I would have rated most VDGG albums (which he seems to love) as 1/2* because i really don't like their music. Now I would rate most of them 3* because they are just not to my taste rather than awful music.

Every popular album listed on this site deserves (requires!) a contrary opinion, but is it really possible to argue that every opinion is valid, just because it's subjective? Food for thought...